Steven Earl Strange, now 43, of Bloomfield, was in Greene Superior Court last Thursday for a change of plea and sentencing hearing in two felony cases.

Strange was arrested in June of 2017 after a resident of the Shady Grove Apartments in Bloomfield called to report he had entered her apartment without permission, while she was there, and she did not know who he was.

He had just been escorted away from the apartments the day before and an officer and the management had both told him not to come back.

After walking into the woman’s apartment, she said he asked for multiple items including a credit card and a butter knife so he could get into a another apartment. He said he was looking for a friend.

When Bloomfield Deputy Marshal Marvin Holt arrived, he reported finding Strange in the hallway trying to get into an apartment where his friend lived, but was not at home. Holt said he was taking the weather stripping off the door. Strange allegedly said the resident had told him to take the weather stripping off and use a credit card to get in.

With Bloomfield Deputy Marshal Wayman J.R. Blazier and Greene County Sheriff’s Deputy Zach Goad assisting, Strange was arrested.

He was charged with residential entry involving breaking and entering a dwelling, a Level 6 felony. He posted $400 cash and bonded out of jail.

In August, he plead guilty and was sentenced to two years in the county jail. He was given credit for time served and 245 days were suspended – to be served on probation.

He was serving on that probation in January of 2018 when Officer Holt was again dispatched to the same apartment building – someone had called dispatch about a man sitting in the hallway smoking. When Holt arrived, he found Strange sitting in the hallway outside of the same apartment he had tried to break into months before. Strange was using an electrical receptacle to charge his phone.

Holt wrote in the probable cause affidavit that earlier that same day, Strange had been taken to a relative’s house, “before 8 a.m. in the Bloomfield area with several bags of his belongings by Deputy Pope with the Greene County Sheriff’s Department due to Strange camping out at the sheriff’s department overnight.”

Strange was found to be in possession of a substance that tested positive as methamphetamine as well as paraphernalia. He was arrested and booked in to the Greene County Jail then charged with possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony, and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.

Shortly after that, the Greene County Probation Department filed a petition to revoke his probation in the previous case. His bond for that was set at $25,000 surety with ten percent allowed. His bond in the newest case was set at $10,000 surety with ten percent allowed. This time, he did not bond out of jail.

Eventually, Strange changed his pleas and last Thursday he was back in court to be sentenced.

In the newest case, he plead guilty to felony possession of methamphetamine, count two was dismissed, and he was sentenced to 180 days in the Greene County Jail. He was given credit for 90 days already served.

In the earlier case, he plead guilty to violating the terms of his probation. The court revoked a portion of his suspended sentence and when he is released, his probation will be terminated as unsuccessful.